Dickens and Cacace world title fight finely poised

ByDavid Mohan

BBC Sport NI Journalist

Rewind just a few years and the prospect of James 'Jazza' Dickens defending a world title against two-time chasing Anthony Cacace may have seemed fanciful.

In some quarters, they were viewed as talented but just below the top bracket, yet their stories almost mirror the other, providing a lesson in perseverance and single-minded belief.

On Saturday, 34-year-old Dickens puts his WBA super-featherweight crown on the line at Dublin's 3Arena against 37-year-old Cacace whose career has aged like a fine wine - proving that if you're good enough, you're young enough.

At Friday's weigh-in, the champion scaled 9st 3.14lb (58.57kg) to the challenger's 9st 3.5lb (58.74kg), meaning all boxes are ticked and this most intriguing of battles is set.

Dickens will make the walk to the ring with a spring in his step following a four-fight winning run since moving to the super-featherweight division to face Cacace, who exploded from the shadows when taking the IBF title from Joe Cordina in 2024.

For the champion, it was a case of third time being a charm as previous title shots at super-bantamweight in 2016 against Guillermo Rigondeaux and featherweight in 2021 against Kid Galahad came up short.

However, the move up in weight and switch to Dubai-based coach Albert Aryrapetyan has resulted in a remarkable upturn in fortunes.

After boxing his way to an eye-catching 10-round decision over Zelfa Barrett in February 2025, he showed a spiteful side when stopping 2020 Olympics gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to take the 'interim' WBA title five months later, improving to 36 wins with five defeats.

The Merseysider boxed superbly in a battle of southpaws, crouching and thudding home the right jab despite conceding the reach advantage with the Russian's looping overhand shots whistling off target.

It's somewhat similar on Saturday with Cacace holding the physical advantages, so perhaps forcing a high-pace battle on the inside will be his plan, posing a different challenge as the first southpaw Cacace has faced since a Celtic title win over Ronnie Clark in 2015.

"Yeah, he's a southpaw and it's been over 10 years since I've fought a southpaw but I'm not really thinking like that. I'm just thinking about what I can do," Cacace - whose record stands at 24-1 - said of that conundrum.

"I watched a bit of the Barrett fight. You can look into all these things, but styles make fights and I can punch hard.

"I'm just going to have to see how Jazza can deal with my power and accuracy."

If fortune favours the brave, the added bonus for Dickens was his elevation to full world champion with Lamont Roach stripped of the belt in December.

He was due to face Hayato Tsutsumi in Saudi Arabia on 27 December, but injury forced the Japanese fighter to withdraw, leaving the 34-year-old seeking a fresh assignment and Cacace didn't have to be asked twice.

After his stunning upset of Cordina in 2024 and a points victory over Josh Warrington in September of that year, Cacace opted to vacate the IBF title to instead take on Leigh Wood in May 2025, defeating the Nottingham man away from home.

The Belfast man has long levers that he utilises through a sharp jab and despite just nine of his 24 wins coming inside the distance, carries noted power.

He exhibited his own mean streak against Cordina and Wood, while the Warrington victory showed he can also grind it out when needed.

"I'm very impressed by his style of boxing," Dickens said of his challenger.

"He can box as a small man, box as a big man and is good at everything, so I will have to adapt to his skills. I know I will have to bite down but it will be a great fight."

The stakes couldn't be higher as victory opens the door to further big nights, while the vanquished's options at the top tier may be severely limited.

That suggests we will have a battle between two men who will leave absolutely everything they have in the ring in pursuit of keeping their own fairytale run on track.

Perhaps a unification against the division's other champions Emanuel Navarrete (WBO and IBF) and O'Shaquie Foster (WBC) could follow, or a fresh challenge in Southampton's Ryan Garner who fights on Saturday's undercard.

Either way, it is set up to be a memorable night in front of a sold-out arena.

"Both have taken a while to get to the main event status where they are fighting for world titles and had to do it the hard way, on the road and into other people's back yard," said George Warren, CEO of promoter Queensberry.

"They are both a credit, legitimate world-class fighters and we are in for an exciting fight on Saturday."